


Traditions

by pinkstarpirate



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-01-21
Packaged: 2018-03-08 12:02:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3208451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkstarpirate/pseuds/pinkstarpirate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mako and Haru start a new tradition of gift giving during the holidays.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Traditions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [37birds.tumblr.com](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=37birds.tumblr.com).



> I really hope you like this. It is fluffy and I have struggled with it. But in the end, I am happy with the cute little piece that I have made, and I hope that you are too. Please enjoy.

Mako looks at the mess that is his gift. The paper is crumpled, the folds are uneven, and the bow is lopsided. He should have had the store clerk do it, but part of the charm of exchanging gifts is preparing it yourself, right?

It isn't that he thinks Haru will be offended by his rather sadly wrapped box, but he can't help but be disappointed in how it looks all the same. Haru's gift is guaranteed to be wrapped perfectly, creased and folded in some artful, beautiful paper. It is just how Haru is, because this kind of thing comes easily to Haru. But even so, Haru also isn't the kind of person to care how shoddily Mako wrapped something.

Still, Mako feels embarrassment tug at him for doing such an inadequate job. He sighs--a long, suffering sigh, the kind he usually reserves for Haru, not himself. Mako tries again to tell himself this doesn't matter, it isn't important, and that he'll be lucky if Haru gives this new tradition of theirs more than second thought.

Back in Iwatobi they never really exchanged Christmas gifts, it wasn't the kind of thing Haru did, at least not in such a personal setting. Their last year of high school Gou had arranged a Secret Santa type of exchange for the Iwatobi team and Rin; and Mako had indeed drawn Haru as his giftee, but Haru had gotten Rei. So Mako knows this is different.

This year, the gifting is between the two of them, and is a private affair. It is something that Mako had suggested, because though this year they might only be a train ride away from each other, future years might add more distance.  Mako feels starting a gift-giving tradition might help if ever they were separated by more than a city.

Inside the small, poorly wrapped box is a travel set of watercolors of the brand he knows Haru likes. Haru has started working with watercolor more in his university art studies, and Mako thinks that being able to take a small set with him as he travels the world might be nice. Mako has no doubt Haru will one day fly from one corner of the globe to the other. He knows how incredibly talented Haru is, and it saddens him a little that their paths are moving in different directions.

Mako didn't think when he chose coaching over swimming that it would affect him as much as it has this year. Haru is only a train ride away, but some days it feels like there are oceans between them. There is an ache on the days Mako wakes up worried that Haru has overslept and they will be late to school, but then he remembers. That isn't their life anymore. Haru is doing well in college, and he has responsibly gotten himself to practice and class up to now. Perhaps Haru never really needed Mako afterall, or perhaps Mako was just a crutch.

Mako tries to shake away these thoughts, because isn't this what he wanted? Didn't he know that Haru and he both had to grow up and be their own persons? Yes, they did. Mako knows this, but it still makes part of his heart ache to know that he was right. Part of him desperately wanted to be wrong. He wanted one, or maybe both, of them to struggle in Tokyo without the other by their side constantly.

Mako frowns at this. This is stupid. He knows it. But you can't argue with your heart. Sometimes it is completely irrational. So he just sets Haru's gift aside and goes to check the rest of the preparations for his and Haru's Christmas Eve get-together.

About an hour later Mako's buzzer sounds. He rushes to the door and opens it to find Haru looking windblown and dusted in a fine layer of big snowflakes.

"Ah, it's snowing out!" Mako exclaims in a surprised way that makes Haru level him with an annoyed glance.

The look says, " _Of course it's snowing. I have snow on me, Mako_."

Mako just scratches the back of his head and sighs. It seems some things will never change.

Haru toes off his shoes and shakes out his coat and scarf before hanging them up in the apartment's small foyer. Then, he enters, and he clutches a small box in his hand. It is wrapped in a lovely, shimmery red paper. And, just as Mako feared, it looks so perfect in comparison to the gift he prepared.

"Um, well, I didn't start cooking yet, because…"

Haru interrupts, blunt as usual, "Because Christmas Eve dinner should be edible."

Well, it wasn't like Mako was a terrible cook, but Haru had moments of genius when in the kitchen. Haru is the kind of person that has so many different kinds of genius, and Mako finds it fascinating how multi-talented the universe made someone who was actually quite apathetic.

However, things were changing. Haru, a boy who doodled on his notes from the time they were in elementary school all the way through high school, now found solace in studying art and being a competitive swimmer. Mako didn't think the art thing was going to go anywhere, because Haru never took art class all that seriously. Honestly, Rin started something when he helped Haru find his true passion for swimming. Perhaps it opened the doors to other passions; passions that also included cooking.

"Where's the mackerel?" Haru asks, half hanging out of Mako's fridge.

"I thought we decided to eat something different," Mako said, knowing that this was, at best, a half truth. Haru said that he would cook their dinner tonight, but he never specified what he would cook. Mako is positive that Haru assumed he would be cooking mackerel.

"I thought we could try frying some chicken, you know, since it is Christmas Eve," Mako says, trying hard not to be affected by Haru's glare.

"We could have just ordered fried chicken, Mako," and Haru huffs before pulling out the chicken and other ingredients he needs from the fridge. It is a miracle that this is the only complaining Haru does about their meal.

Mako comes and helps with the prep, only doing what Haru tells him to do. Soon the two of them are sitting and watching the snow fall outside Mako's window, and eating crispy little bites of chicken. It tastes a lot better than anything they could have ordered.

After dinner, Mako does the dishes while Haru whips up a chocolate mousse. "For later," he says as he puts it in the refrigerator to chill, and gives Mako the rest of the dishes he just made. Mako washes these new dishes while Haru dries them. Haru's attention seems to be far away. To the untrained observer it might look like Haru was lost in thought, but Mako notices how Haru taps his foot while drying, and how he shifts positions every few minutes. It is slight, but it is there. He can still tell when Haru is anxious, and it is a relief.

"We're almost done," he says, and hands Haru one last dish.

And now, they are here. The moment this night has been building to--this new tradition. After the last dish is put away in the cupboard, Haru rushes to his little perfectly wrapped red gift. He holds it protectively and waits for Mako to join him. Mako goes to his room, finds the badly wrapped gift for Haru, and sits by Haru on the couch.

"It...I didn't...it isn't much," Haru says and pushes the gift into Mako's hands. And for a moment, Mako is holding two gifts--one he will give, and one he has received.

"This isn't much either," he tells Haru, and gently places the box in his friend's hands.

Haru waits, and Mako knows Haru isn't much for patience, but Haru makes no move to open his own gift.  He only watches and waits for Mako to open the one that he gave.

It is so pretty, and Mako doesn't doesn't want to rip it open carelessly. He picks at the corner of the paper for almost a full minute before Haru huffs and says, matter-of-factly, "It's just paper."

Of course it's just paper. But it's beautiful. It is careful and thoughtful, like Haru can be in the moments when no one is looking. And Mako can't bring himself to tear it recklessly, so he just picks at it until the flap of paper finally lifts. He pulls out a tiny box, and inside that small box is an intricately woven bracelet.

Mako knows instantly that this is something Haru made. There are three beads worked seamlessly into the woven strings. They are meticulously hand-painted and lovely. One is blue, one is green, and one is both; and suddenly the box of travel watercolors seems utterly inadequate and impersonal. Mako blushes hot with shame, because he is not the kind of person who can make beautiful things worthy of Haru. And Haru is most definitely worthy of beautiful things.

"Let me help," Haru says as he picks up the bracelet and wraps it around Mako's wrist. The clasp catches quickly, but Haru's fingers linger on the inside of Mako's wrist, and brush against his palm, and then pull away quickly as if they were guests who have overstayed their welcome. Mako wants to tell Haru that they are most definitely welcome.

"It looks good on you," Haru tells Mako, nodding in approval. "I was worried it wouldn't be long enough, because you have big hands."

Mako almost laughs, because Haru's blunt nature has broken the fragile moment they shared just moments ago, when Haru touched Mako's wrist as if it was something precious, as if Mako was precious.

Now Mako encourages Haru to open his gift. Haru pays no mind to the wrapping job, nor does he carefully open it. He undoes the bow and rips off the paper, and he sees what Mako gave him.

Mako is nervous and he stammers, "I...I just thought that it would be nice, if you had something to take with you, so you can paint."

It is a box of watercolors. It is only a stupid box of watercolors. Mako spent an entire week trying to find the perfect present for Haru, and the best he could do was a tiny, insignificant box of watercolors.

Haru doesn't say anything. He sits and runs his fingers over the box, and Mako is so focused on the gift itself, that he doesn't notice Haru's reaction at first. After a few moments, Mako looks up and finds the most serene, soft smile on Haru's face. It is the kind of smile that is so precious Mako wishes he could freeze time, because these smiles of Haru's never last, and they are lovely.

"Thank you," Haru says as he clutches his new paints tightly.

Mako reaches over, his fingers brush over the inside of Haru's wrist, and he convinces Haru to relinquish the box of watercolors in exchange for his hand. And before Mako really realizes what he has done, they are holding hands. It only dawns on him what they are doing when Haru turns a rather interesting shade of red.

The idea of holding hands felt so natural, and he wanted to do it, so Mako did it. However, Mako should note that he, like Haru, is probably an interesting shade of red. Mako has had a lot more experience blushing than Haru has, so he does it so much better. He can feel the heat on the bridge of his nose all the way to his ears, which feel like they are on fire.

But this is the important thing. This is the thing that makes Mako figure this is okay. Both of them hold on. Neither of them lets go, despite their embarrassment. Mako smiles, because he has a feeling they have started more than one new tradition today.

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to make this smutty for you, my dear MakoHaru SS exchangee (37birds.tumblr.com). But unfortunately, the story just decided to be fluffy. Perhaps I will write a sequel with some New Year's smut? This is a good goal. I will try to add another chapter with another new tradtion ;)


End file.
